Final Dish:

Divide sautéed spinach among 4 plates. Top each with a poached egg and 1/4 of the Mornay sauce. Sprinkle with a bit of grated cheese. Optional: Place briefly under the broiler until the cheese browns just a bit in spots. Sprinkle with paprika.

Serve with a few tomato slices. If you’re serving heartier appetites, use two eggs per person.

Note:

• To make it easy on yourself, put all the plates on a cookie sheet and broil them at once. Have a second set of plates ready and place the hot plate on top of a cool one for serving.
• If broiling, if your Florentines don’t seem to get too brown, don’t worry about it – it’s better to take them out pale rather than have the eggs and spinach overcooked. Sprinkle with a bit of paprika for color.

Mornay Sauce:

Melt butter in small saucepan, when foaming subsists add in flour and stir briskly with a whisk for a moment, do not allow to brown. Pour in milk, whisking continuously until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, add seasonings, and stir in cheese until melted. Set aside.

Mornay sauce is simply a White Sauce with a bit of cheese added – it literally takes minutes to make.

Sauteed Spinach:

Melt butter in a large skillet or saucepan, saute the onion for just a moment or two until translucent. Add spinach (add it while still damp from washing) and saute several minutes until slightly wilted and softened.